Page "Engine" Paragraph 20

Earlier automobile engine development produced a much larger range of engines than is in common use today.

Engines have ranged from 1-to 16-cylinder designs with corresponding differences in overall size, weight, piston displacement, and cylinder bores.

Four cylinders and power ratings from 19 to 120 hp ( 14 to 90 kW ) were followed in a majority of the models.

Several three-cylinder, two-stroke-cycle models were built while most engines had straight or in-line cylinders.

There were several V-type models and horizontally opposed two-and four-cylinder makes too.

Overhead camshafts were frequently employed.

The smaller engines were commonly air-cooled and located at the rear of the vehicle ; compression ratios were relatively low.

The 1970s and ' 80s saw an increased interest in improved fuel economy which brought in a return to smaller V-6 and four-cylinder layouts, with as many as five valves per cylinder to improve efficiency.

The Bugatti Veyron 16. 4 operates with a W16 engine meaning that two V8 cylinder layouts are positioned next to each other to create the W shape sharing the same crankshaft.